100 Miles Through the Flinders: Tiaan’s Journey
100 Miles in the Flinders
I recently took on a 100-mile trail race through the Flinders Ranges in South Australia — a pretty wild experience from start to finish. It was a long day (and night), but honestly, it was an absolute blast.
Preparation: Long Runs and Kangaroo Chats
A majority of my time was spent in the training block and weirdly enough, it was where I had the most fun. A lot of my runs were completed in the Adelaide Hills — early mornings, long climbs and more conversations with kangaroos than with people. I focused a lot on building endurance and testing everything: shoes, gear and nutrition. The goal was to show up on race day with no surprises. Just keep things simple and dialed in.
Gear & Nutrition: No Room for Guesswork
By race day, I had a setup I trusted. I ran in the Altra Experience Wild — they gave me a natural, roomy toe box, enough cushion for protection, but I still felt connected and stable on rough terrain. For the vest, I went with the Salomon Advanced Skin 12L — it fit close to the body, had loads of storage and didn’t cause any issues, even after a full day of wear. No chafing, no hotspots, nothing to think about.
For nutrition, I kept it pretty varied: pre-boiled potatoes, Maurten Solid bars, a mix of gels and waffles. For hydration, I rotated between Tailwind and Precision Hydration products, with salt tablets to stay on top of electrolytes. It wasn’t fancy — just what worked.
The Event: Rugged Terrain, Far from Home
The race was organised by the Murray Bridge Multisport crew and took place in the Flinders Ranges, which felt about as far from home as I could get. I grew up in New Zealand — think alpine trails and cooler temps — so racing through dry, desert-like terrain with 4,000–5,000 metres of climbing felt like a totally different beast. That was kind of the point, though. If I was going to suffer, I wanted to do it somewhere unfamiliar.
The Race: Possums, Pain and a Push to the Finish
The first 80km went surprisingly well. I felt strong, moved efficiently, and stuck to the plan. But once the sun went down and the fatigue hit, things got rough. The heat during the day had taken a toll, and by the early hours of the morning, the cold set in.
Around 4am, I hit the wall — physically and mentally. My brain started doing strange things. At one point, I was hallucinating human-sized possums darting across the trail. Not exactly what I expected out there.
The final 20km were the toughest. Everything hurt and every little hill felt like a mountain. Thankfully, my brother Jonty was pacing me for the last 50km. Having him out there made a huge difference — even just having someone to talk to when the wheels were coming off helped me keep moving. My gear held up, my nutrition stayed solid and the course was absolutely stunning. With the help of my amazing support crew Emma (partner) and John (Dad), I crossed the finish line after about 26 hours and somehow managed to land a spot on the podium.
Looking Back: What I Learnt (and What I’d Do Differently)
If you’d asked me right after the finish whether I’d do it again, I probably would’ve laughed. But now? Yeah, I think I would. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done, but it taught me a lot — not just about running, but about what happens when you keep showing up, even when things start falling apart.
Next time, I’d probably do more lower-intensity, time-on-feet training and just try to embrace the discomfort a bit more. Because, let’s be honest — if you’re signing up for a 100-miler, you’re signing up for some pain. The trick is learning how to work with it, not against it.
